


Preservation

by CadetDru



Series: Seven Sins of the Arrangement [4]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: M/M, Missing Scene, Pre-Relationship, Seven Deadly Sins, The Arrangement (Good Omens), greed - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-19 21:25:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19364365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CadetDru/pseuds/CadetDru
Summary: Aziraphale loves his books.





	Preservation

“You’re awfully quiet,” Crowley said. He was generously driving Aziraphale home from the destroyed church.  Aziraphale was sitting next to him, his satchel of rescued books in his lap.

“Have I thanked you?” Aziraphale asked, as Crowley took a turn particularly quickly at a funny angle.

“Enough,” Crowley said. 

Aziraphale was never sure if he should be more or less grateful for Crowley’s help. None of it seemed to be the right amount, it was all too much or too little.

“I can’t believe,” Aziraphale started before stopping abruptly. The correct thing to say was that he couldn’t believe he had fallen for the devious trick of working for the Nazis. Another appropriate thing not to believe was the lengths to which Crowley had gone to save him. The actual thing he was going to say was that he couldn’t believe he had forgotten to rescue his books, while Crowley had remembered. Aziraphale hoarded his books, treasured them. He kept them safe, kept them secure. He needed them, needed to have them near him. He needed them more than he needed Crowley, and he was just beginning to realize how much he needed Crowley.

Crowley cared about Aziraphale’s books because he cared about Aziraphale.

“I know you don’t like to admit it when I say you’re a nice— don’t stop the car!” he cried as the car suddenly swerved.

“There was a pedestrian," Crowley said patiently. "There still is, now.”

“Oh.” Aziraphale relaxed. “You know, I never realized… I never thought…”

“Here we are.”

“Oh,” Aziraphale said, tensing up. He tried to rally. “Fancy a drink?”

“You’re inviting me in for a nightcap,” Crowley said, his voice not questioning it while he stared at Aziraphale from behind his dark glasses.

“You did… let’s just say I appreciate your efforts and feel you might need a drink. Unless you have other plans?” It was an obvious ploy.  

Crowley continued to stare at him, inscrutable behind his constant dark glasses. “None at all. I wasn’t expecting to make it out of a church alive.”

They went inside. Aziraphale was still in a daze, so Crowley poured the wine. Aziraphale just examined his books from within the satchel. He absent-mindedly accepted the glass his guest gave him. Courage came from the wine, motivation came from the stacks of precious books.

Crowley was staring at him, trying not to smile at him.  

Aziraphale smiled at him. “I’ll always be convinced that you truly are Good deep down, and your loving me just seems to prove it.”

“I don’t know what you mean, angel.” Crowley said darkly. It wasn’t a hiss because there was nothing for him to latch onto.

“I love you more than my books, you know,” Aziraphale said, trying a different tactic. It would have been more convincing if he wasn’t currently stroking the cover of one of his books of prophecy.

“No, you don’t,” Crowley laughed. “It’s alright, it’s not like I love you more than my car.”

Aziraphale’s face lit up with an overwhelming light of happiness and joy. Crowley’s face fell. “You admit that you love me?” he did not say. He didn’t need to.  Crowley was starting to deny it anyway.

“No,” Crowley said, gaining speed and animation as Aziraphale’s smile grew. “No, I didn’t mean… listen, no, it doesn’t mean anything. I don’t love you.  An angel can achieve a companionate love, that’s all. Demons can’t love, that’s the whole point. You and I aren’t human, we can't be like them. You have to realize that.”

“But I don’t believe it,” Aziraphale said. He clutched his books. "We want human things, have human desires. I know you can love me, that you do, that…”

“I will leave right now if you don’t stop,” Crowley warned.

The light of Aziraphale’s joy was snuffed out.

Crowley almost started, almost moved towards him. “Can you just… you have your books. You wanted them. Just celebrate that.  Don’t…”

“Don’t be too greedy?” Aziraphale suggested.

“Exactly,” Crowley said, his face twisted with conflicting desires.

He nodded. “Alright.”

Crowley drank his wine. Aziraphale ran his fingers over the carefully preserved pages of his books.

“I do love you,” Crowley said, staring into his wineglass. “Just not the way you would want.”

“I’m sure the wine loves you too.”

Crowley looked up at Aziraphale, his dark glasses slipping. His golden eyes glowed. “It had better.”


End file.
